CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 6:30 PM ET
Sabrina Sohail: sabrina@campaignforuyghurs.org
(650) 703-4523
https://www.campaignforuyghurs.org
Campaign For Uyghurs (CFU) applauds U.S. Representatives Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Carlos A. Giménez (R-FL) for leading the reintroduction of the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act (UFLDA). This bill plays a vital role in addressing the ongoing Uyghur genocide and Uyghur forced labor practices committed by the Chinese government. It requires publicly traded companies to disclose all information regarding potential links between their products and Uyghur forced labor in East Turkistan.
The UFLDA aims to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to mandate publicly traded companies to issue annual reports on all imported goods sourced from East Turkistan, thereby identifying and addressing complicit actors. UFLDA also emphasizes the significance of using independent entities to verify documentation, ensuring the credibility and accuracy of reported information. By shedding light on the connections between companies and forced labor in East Turkistan, UFLDA empowers individuals and organizations to advocate for ethical and responsible sourcing practices.
“Products made with forced labor have no place on American store shelves,” said Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton. “The American people deserve to know whether the clothes they wear or the technology they use every day was produced using forced labor. To make that happen we need greater scrutiny of goods sourced from the Chinese government’s prolific forced labor scheme involving the detention of tens of thousands of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. My Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act takes the necessary next steps to build on major bipartisan progress Congress has made to stand up against the Chinese government’s exploitation of Uyghurs and crack down on this human rights atrocity.”
“The Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act is a significant step forward in seeking justice for the exploited Uyghur people and Turkic groups, including my sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas. My unlawfully imprisoned sister could be among those innocent people exploited for forced labor, and she may have made the goods that are reaching the American market. This bill will expose those who are benefiting from Uyghur slave labor, ensuring the effective implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and thwarting the Chinese Communist Party’s intent to profit from the Uyghur Genocide,” says CFU Executive Director Rushan Abbas. “Investors, stakeholders, and consumers must confront any complicity in the Chinese regime’s heinous crimes against humanity and take a firm stand against such practices to uphold human rights and moral principles,” Abbas added.
CFU wholeheartedly welcomes the UFLDA and calls on Congress to swiftly pass the bill to send a strong message that the United States will not tolerate forced labor or human rights abuses.
